Open our Bibles today to the
letter of Ephesians chapter 5. Ephesians chapter 5. We recognize as we began reading
this chapter that these words were written to believers. words
that we are going to read and study from today. These words
were written to God's children. Beginning in verse 20. Giving thanks always for all
things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Submitting yourselves one to
another in the fear of God. Wives, submit yourselves unto
your own husbands as unto the Lord. For the husband is the
head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and
he is the savior of the body. Therefore, as the church is subject
unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, even
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it, that
he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water
by the word. that he might present it to himself
a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing,
but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men
to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his
wife loveth himself. For no man ever hated his own
flesh, but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church. For we are members of his body,
of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave
his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and
they too shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but
I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless, let
every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself,
and the wife see that she reverence her husband." The title of the
message this morning is A Great Mystery. a great mystery, taken
from Paul's words in verse 32, when he said, this is a great
mystery. Now it's important that all of
us understand what the word mystery means in the New Testament. I believe it's found about 27
times in the New Testament, the word mystery. What does it mean? Well, the Lord Jesus Christ used
this word when speaking to his disciples. He said, unto you
it is given to know, and this is very important to understand
what the word mystery means, when he said, it is given unto
you to know the mystery of the kingdom of God. A mystery in
the New Testament is not something which is incomprehensible to
the human mind, but it is something that the unaided human mind could
never discover. A mystery in the New Testament
is something that man apart from God the Holy Spirit could never
understand. It is something that man could
never find out by searching. but rather something which is
revealed. It is God the Holy Spirit who
enables believers to know the mystery. As our Lord said, unto
you it is given. Men by nature do not have the
ability. Unto you it is given to know
the mystery of the kingdom of God. If you will keep your places
here, but look back to 1 Corinthians chapter 2. 1 Corinthians chapter 2. And look at verse 7. But we speak
the wisdom of God in a mystery. The wisdom of God. We speak the
wisdom of God in a mystery. Even the hidden wisdom which
God ordained before the world under our glory, which none of
the princes of this world knew, none of the religious leaders
of the nation of Israel, that's what he means here by the princes
of this world, none of them knew. For had they known, they would
not have crucified the Lord of glory, but as it is written,
I hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that
love Him. Now notice, but God hath revealed
them unto us by His Spirit. For the Spirit searcheth all
things, yea, the deep things of God. For what man knoweth
the things of a man save the Spirit of man which is in him?
Even so the things of God knoweth no man but the Spirit of God.
Now we have received not the Spirit of the world, but the
Spirit which is of God, that we might know. Unto you it is
given to know the mysteries of the kingdom. We have not received
the Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
is God the Holy Spirit. that we might know the things
that are freely given to us of God. Now the Apostle Paul tells
us in our text today that this is a great mystery. What is the
mystery? What is the mystery that is revealed
unto us by God the Holy Spirit in this passage of Scripture?
The mystery that is revealed unto us by God the Holy Spirit
is the union that exists between Christ and His Church. The union,
the union between Christ and His Church, which is His body. Keep your place here, but turn
back to Ephesians 1. Let's make sure that we all understand
this. Ephesians 1 and verses 22 and
23. Speaking of the resurrection
of Christ and his ascension, his exaltation to the right hand
of the majesty on high, and hath put all things under his feet. and gave him to be the head over
all things to the church, which is his body." The mystery, the
mystery in this passage of scripture, Paul calls it a great mystery,
causes us to call this union between Christ and every member
of his church Every believer, you, if you are a child of God
this morning, you are in union with Christ. Christ is in union
with you. And I ask all of us here this
morning this question. Do we often think about this? Do we often meditate and think
about this wonderful truth that every day that every moment we
are in union with Christ, that Christ is in union with us, what
a wonderful truth. What a great blessed truth. And
yet, as the Apostle Paul said, it is a great mystery. A great mystery. The marriage
relationship between man and wife is used here as a picture
of the union between Christ and His body, between Christ and
His church. If you notice in verse 31 here
in Ephesians 5, a man, it says, for this cause
shall a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined
unto his wife and they too shall be one flesh. They're no longer
two. They're now joined. They're in
union. They're one. Even so, you are
in union. You are one with Christ. This is a great mystery. Now
I'm speaking to believers. This was written to believers.
If you're not a child of God here today, there's no way you
should assume that you are in union with Christ or Christ is
in union with you. But for every child of God here
today, what a wonderful blessed truth and what an important truth
that we be cognizant of every day that we, that I, am in union
with Christ, that Christ is in union with me. Now consider with
me four thoughts from this type, this type of the marriage union
between Adam and Eve. We read Genesis chapter 2 at
the beginning of the service and you recognize that verse
31 is just a repetition. The Apostle Paul, he just repeats
what God said there in Genesis chapter 2. For this cause shall
a man leave his father and mother and shall be joined unto his
wife and they too shall be one flesh. Consider these four thoughts. First of all, God said there
would be a going forth. A man goes forth. He leaves his
father and his mother. May this not serve to remind
us that the Son of God came forth from the Father. And this is
a great mystery. This is a great mystery, beyond
our ability to ever find out apart from it being revealed
to us by God the Holy Spirit. In fact, the Apostle Paul said
in 1 Timothy 3 and verse 16, great is the mystery of godliness,
God was manifest in the flesh. In every marriage, God said,
there is a going forth. The son leaves his father and
his mother. And I use this today to remind
us that in Christ coming into this world, God sent his son,
and yet he remained in heaven. Can you understand that? I can't. But that's exactly what he told
Nicodemus. As the Son of Man, He was speaking
to Nicodemus face to face, but at the same time, He was in heaven. This is a great mystery. That
in one person, the God-Man, we have these two natures. Absolute God and absolute man. He didn't just appear to be a
man, He was a man. At the same time, He is God the
Son. He came forth from the Father
by His being made flesh that He might be one with His bride. You see, in the time the son
has to leave his father and mother to be joined to the wife, to
be one with the wife. So Christ, in a sense, had to
leave heaven, the son, and come to this earth that he might be
one in union with his bride, with his body, with his church. Look over in Hebrews 2 just a
moment, if you will. And if you don't want to turn,
just let me read this passage. Hebrews chapter 2 and verses
11 and also verse 14. In verse 11, the scripture says,
for both he that sanctified and they who are sanctified are all
one. Who does the sanctifying? God,
who are the sanctified, his bride. For both he that sanctifieth
and they who are sanctified are all one, for which cause he,
that is Christ, is not ashamed to call them brethren. How is
it that he is our brother, that he is the friend that sticketh
closer than a brother? by being made flesh, by coming
into this world to be one with his bride. And look in verse
14 if you've turned here. For as much then as the children
are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took
part of the same, that through death he might destroy him that
had the power of the devil, of the power of death, that is the
devil, and delivered them who through fear of death were all
their lifetime subject to bondage. Adam was before Eve, wasn't he? God created man, put him in the
garden, saw it wasn't good that he'd be alone, so he made him
a helpmate. Adam was before Eve. Christ was
before his bride. He has always existed. He was
set up in eternity in the purpose of God. One with the Father and
yet he was given a bride. Here's a second thing that comes
to mind. There was an unusual sleep and then Eve was taken out of
Adam's side. An unusual sleep. I assure him
that Adam was created with the ability to sleep before he ever
sinned. And so, at night he would go
to sleep, like you and I do. But on this day, he experienced
an unusual sleep. God put him to sleep. And while
he was asleep, God took out of his side is bride. The unusual sleep of Adam reminds
us of the sleep, the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, which
is without parallel. The death of Christ. This too
is a great mystery. You hear what I'm saying? Him
coming into this world as a man, this is a great mystery. And
Him dying, the Lord of glory, He who is life, for Him to die? This is a great mystery. His
death was voluntarily, a voluntary death. That's not true of anyone
else. You don't have the power. I don't
have the power. No man has ever been given the
power other than Christ to lay down his life. By that I mean
just to dismiss your spirit. You don't have that power. You
couldn't do that. You know that, don't you? You
couldn't just now just say, well, I'm tired of life. I'm just going
to dismiss my spirit. I'm going to turn my spirit over
into the hands of God. Christ did. It's an unusual,
unusual sleep because his death was purely a voluntary death. He laid down his life. In fact,
he said, no man takes it from me. Those Roman soldiers, those religious
Jews, the Pharisees, oh, they were instruments, but they were
doing what God had ordained. But no man was able to take his
life. He said, I could call my father
right now, and he'd send 12 legions of angels. One angel killed 185,000
soldiers one night. Think what a legion of angels
could do. No man taketh my life. I lay
it down. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received
from my Father." That's what he said. Not only was his death
a voluntary death, but his death accomplished. I've told you this
before, but when some famous person dies, usually some famous
wealthy person dies, you look in the obituary in the paper
and they may have a page talking about all that this man accomplished
in his life. But I've never read any obituary
telling us what a man accomplished in his death. Man doesn't accomplish
anything in his death except rid this world of one less person
to breathe God's air and drink His water. But Christ, that's
what they spoke of on the Mount of Transfiguration, Moses and
Elijah, His death, which He would accomplish at Jerusalem. And
what did he accomplish in his death? He redeemed his church,
his bride. He didn't just try to redeem
his church, he redeemed his church. Just as Eve was taken out of
the side of Adam, so the church was taken out of the side of
Christ. You remember that Roman soldier
came while the Lord's body was still hanging upon the tree,
and he thrust that spear into his side, and John tells us,
out of his side flowed, flowed, not just dribbled, flowed blood
and water. Blood. Blood, first of all, came
out, which speaks of justification. It is by His blood. Romans 5
and verse 9, the Apostle said, much more than being justified
by His blood, we shall be saved by His life. Now, you know, when
the Scripture speaks about blood, it's talking about His death.
His vicarious death. Blood came, blood flowed out. His bride was redeemed by that
blood, justified by that blood. But not only did blood come out,
but water comes out. And if you notice here in our
text today, here in Ephesians 5, verses 25 and 26, he said,
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church
and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse
it with the washing of water by the word. His blood flowed
to justify, and the water flowed Picturing the sanctifying of
the bride of the Lord Jesus Christ. The word sanctify, it means to
set apart and also it means to cleanse. And it is by his word,
the spirit of God, taking this word, the gospel, that he calls
out. He sets aside his bride and he
cleanses. He washes by the word of God. And notice here in this text,
it says that Eve being taken out of Adam's side was near his
heart, near his heart. And here the apostle tells us
that Christ nourishes and cherishes his wife. Nourishes. To nourish is to feed, to provide. And Christ, he feeds, he provides
for his church. How does he feed his church?
He gave gifts unto men, preachers. He feeds, he nourishes his church. Not only does he nourish his
church, but he cherishes his church. He loves his bride. He loves his bride. Here's a
third thought. God brought Eve to Adam. God took one of his ribs, and
with that rib made Eve, and then the scripture points out that
He brought Eve to Adam. Now, this may serve to remind
us that it is God who draws men and women to Christ. And this
is a great mystery. It is. It is a great mystery.
Two people have the same father, same mother, hear the same message,
the same preacher, and one of them may be called and the other
left. Our Lord said, no man can come
to me except the father which hath sent me draw him. It's a
great mystery. I love the words of the hymn
that put it like this. Why? Why was I made to hear thy
voice and enter while there's room, when thousands make a wretched
choice and rather starve than come? T'was the same love that
spread the feast that sweetly forced me in, else I had still
refused to taste and perish in my sins. It's a great mystery,
isn't it? Those of you who've been called,
who've been quickened, made alive in Christ, it's a great mystery.
It was simply, purely the work of God, a powerful work, likened
unto the resurrection of bringing Christ's body out of the grave. That's the same power that is
put forth by God, the Holy Spirit, in calling and bringing Eve,
the Lord's church, to Christ. And here's the fourth thing.
The bond of the marriage union is love. Notice that in verse
25. Husbands, love your wives even
as Christ also loved the church and gave himself for it. The bond of the union of Christ
and his people is love. Everlasting love. Yea, I have
loved thee with an everlasting love. This is a great mystery. Why would God love you? Why would he love me? Why? It's a great mystery, isn't
it? And yet we know from the Word
of God that he does love his people. And the bond of this
marriage union is love. When two persons marry, that's
the bond that keeps the marriage together, is love. And Christ
loved his church, and though she fell in Adam, she did. We fell in our father Adam, but
we were not separated from his love. Nothing shall separate us from
the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Now those are four types, or
four pictures. I hope you followed with me.
And every one of them is a great mystery, isn't it? It is to me
a great mystery. Well consider these three truths
about the great mystery of our union with Christ. First, Christ's
church, His body, was chosen in Him and has been in union
with Him from eternity. God's church, the body of the
Lord Jesus Christ, has been in union with Him from before the
foundation of the world. Second, Christ's church, His
body, was brought into union with him when he partook of our
nature. When he came into this world
as a man, as verse 30 says, we are members of his body, of his
flesh, and of his bones. And third, Christ's church, his
body, is brought unto him in a vital union by faith. And this must be understood.
This must be stated. Yes, His church is in union with
Him from eternity. Yes, His church is in union with
Him by Him coming into this world and becoming bone of our bone
and flesh of our flesh. And yes, there is a union between
Christ and His church which is called a vital union. And it's like the branch that
is in the vine. Faith. We must trust in Him. We must believe in Him. We are
in Him by faith and He is in us by His Spirit. But this union
is vital. That's one of the reasons that
we preach the gospel. God has commanded us to go into
all the world and preach the gospel. And yes, He has people
that He has chosen, and people that Christ has redeemed in this
world. And He's going to call them by
the preaching of the gospel, and they must believe. You must believe in Christ. I
must believe in Christ. Without faith, the scripture
says, it is impossible to please God. This is a vital union. It's a necessary union. The Apostle
Paul put it like this. He said, I am crucified with
Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not
I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life which I now live
in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved
me and gave himself for me. Let me close with these thoughts.
This is a great mystery, isn't it? Wouldn't you agree? Scripture declares it, I know
you agree. It's a great mystery. But what practical lesson is
it for you and I? Well, one practical lesson is
to encourage us. To encourage us. You know, our
Lord said when He spoke about marriage, what God hath joined
together, let not man put asunder. And I'm saying this union that
I'm talking about here today, what God has joined together,
man cannot put asunder. You follow me? This union that
God This joining of Christ and His church, this union, no one
can put us under. This union is forever. And secondly,
when tempted to sin, I think about Joseph. You know, in the
Old Testament, Joseph who was sold into slavery and then he
ended up in the house of Potiphar. And Potiphar's wife tempted him
to fornication, and he fled from her. But he said this, how can
I do this great evil and sin against God? When tempted to
sin, let these thoughts come to our mind. How can I do this
great evil and sin against God in whom, or with whom rather,
I'm in union? I'm in union with Christ. How can I do this great evil?
I pray that the Lord would bless this word to all of us here today
and use it. Maybe you're here today.
Maybe the Lord's spoken to you. I trust he's spoken to all of
us. Maybe he's spoken to you in a special way. Look to Christ. Trust in Him as your Lord and
Savior. This union has to be manifested. It's real from eternity, but
it must be manifested in time by trusting in Christ, by believing
in Him. We'll sing a hymn, number 215.